Nip/Tuck: Tommy Bolton (3.8)

Christian's attempts to connect with his mother were so sad. You could see that Christian was trying his hardest in every way to be a perfect son and create a trusting relationship with her, even if he sometimes went a little too far (like offering Gail plastic surgery -- not a good idea!). As much as it hurt him in the end, it was understandable that Gail wouldn't want him in her life. Piecing together your life after such a terrifying attack, only to have a remnant of said attack come back unexpectedly when you'd moved on would be so difficult to go through.

Kimber's scene with Gail was also really poignant. She also wants a mother figure in her life, and completely turned up at the wrong moment. I really loved the quick moment where everything went silent after her speech and she clicked her heel back on the ground. Kinda like coming back down to reality after having such extreme expectations of what was going to happen. Just a perfect little moment in a storyline filled with sadness.

Strangely, Matt actually made a point this episode. While he still acted like a complete tool in his scene with Julia and Quentin, his reaction to Sean, Nicole and Austin was priceless. Sean is clearly making his houseguests his new family, and Matt was right in saying that Sean failed the first time round, so just picked up a new dysfunctional family to be part of.

Julia and Quentin's relationship felt a little forced, and their tango scene was like something out of a bad '80s movie. Elsewhere, I really liked the Tommy Bolton story, which was really sweet. I keep seeing how Christian and Quentin are becoming like Sean and Christian, except with Christian now being the headstrong, responsible one, and Quentin the irresponsible player. It's an intriguing twist on the show's dynamic.

An excellent episode featuring several emotionally-charged and beautifully-written storylines. While there are still stories that ring false and feature lazy scriptwriting, the old-style Nip/Tuck genius is still there. B+

Credits
Guest stars Anne Heche (Nicole Morretti); Kathy Baker (Gail Pollack); John Patrick Amedori (Max Pollack); Meagen Fay (Mrs. Bolton); Alan Feinstein (Mr. Bolton); Blair Williamson (Tommy Bolton); Tanner Richie (Austin Morretti); Steve Sandvoss (Evan Bolton); Darby Stanchfield (Aimee Bolton); Bob Gunton (Agent Sagamore)
Writer Brad Falchuk Director Guy Ferland